Cameron J. McCoy has been named Shenandoah University’s new provost and will begin his new role on July 15.
A scholar in the fields of higher education administration and university-community-business partnerships, McCoy has an extensive record of leadership, achievement and service.
Shenandoah selected McCoy after Adrienne Bloss, Ph.D., announced earlier this year that she would retire after serving as Shenandoah’s chief academic officer since 2013.
“I am immensely honored to have been selected to serve Shenandoah University as its next provost,” McCoy said. “The unparalleled excellence of Shenandoah’s emerging artists, scholars, and compassionate graduates is inspiring, as is the ardor and brilliance of the university’s faculty and staff. As articulated in the university’s mission and vision statements, I share the belief that education and professional preparation is essential to empowering reflective thinkers, lifelong learners, and purpose-driven citizens. In that regard, the leadership of Provost Bloss provides an incredible foundation of innovation, and I am eager to work with President Fitzsimmons and the entire Shenandoah community to shape its next future-focused chapter.”
McCoy comes to Shenandoah from Lehigh University in Pennsylvania where he served as vice president and vice provost for strategic initiatives. He previously served as the executive director for the Corporate Engagement Office at the University of Oklahoma, where his primary role was university-wide external engagement and economic development. Before his career in education, McCoy worked in the private sector and served as an officer in the United States Army. In the Army, he established a leader development program and a training program that encouraged civilian and military education. As an educator, he has taught courses in entrepreneurial thinking, leadership theory, and higher education administration.
Having served at Lehigh since 2014, McCoy’s focus was threefold. First, his group worked across the academic enterprise to grow sustainable financial and value-based external and internal relationships that position Lehigh for a transformative future. Second, they proactively shaped the Lehigh experience for learners and looked to extend that experience over a lifetime. Third, they fostered a strategic institutional culture shift and maximized return on resources through consultative design and implementation of wide-ranging innovation initiatives.
“We are extremely excited to have Dr. McCoy join our Shenandoah community,” said President Tracy Fitzsimmons, Ph.D. “Certainly, Dr. McCoy has extensive experience across educational administration, the military, non-profits, and the private sector, but it is his innovative spirit, respect for transformative learning and his keen insights into the future of higher education that make him a great fit to help lead Shenandoah. His collaborative, servant leadership approach will make him a great partner and advocate for our faculty, students and the communities we serve.”
The search committee at Shenandoah was co-chaired by Vice President of Student Affairs Yolanda Barbier Gibson, D.A., and Robbie Kidd, PharmD, PhD, professor and chair of Biopharmaceutical Sciences, who both had this to say about the process and McCoy’s selection:
“The search committee had well over 100 applicants to evaluate for our next provost. We Zoom-interviewed a diverse group of 11 candidates and then invited four of them for on-site interviews. One candidate, Dr. Cameron McCoy, distinguished himself throughout our rigorous evaluation process. He brings a mix of private sector, military, and higher education leadership experience to Shenandoah University. His proven track record of creating mutually beneficially internal and external collaborations will benefit our students, staff, faculty, and community. As a thought leader, his innovative ideas and strategic vision for the future will keep Shenandoah University at the forefront of the ever-changing landscape of higher education. We are looking forward to working with Dr. McCoy and him joining the Shenandoah family.”
McCoy holds a Master of Arts in liberal studies, and an Interdisciplinary Ph.D. in economics, educational administration, and sociology from the University of Oklahoma. He also holds Bachelor of Arts degrees in both social studies and history and a Bachelor of Science in architectural studies — all from Washington State University. McCoy is an Academy for Innovative Higher Education Leaders (AIHEL) Fellow, and in 2018 he was awarded a prestigious American Council on Education (ACE) Fellowship. During that fellowship, he served at both George Mason University and Southern New Hampshire University.
He succeeds Bloss who was also an ACE Fellow, and has served as provost at Shenandoah since September 2018. Prior to this role, Bloss was the vice president for academic affairs for more than five years at Shenandoah.
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